The neoliberal state and the gendered prosecution of work injury

Abstract

This paper concerns women workers and their work injuries in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It explores how the State, through its relevant agencies (in this case, the WorkCover Authority of NSW), implements gender-neutral occupational health safety legislation to prosecute employers who breach their legislative duty to protect the health and safety of women workers. The paper’s findings are based on an examination of work injury prosecution outcomes. The paper finds that the public administration of gender-neutral laws is no guarantee against gendered workplace health outcomes.

Key Words:

• Women workers
• work injury prosecution
• gender-neutral law
• occupational health and safety legislation
• State implementation
• gendered outcomes